Want more Twitter followers? Have you considered advertising by tattoo?

TechCrunch writer Drew Olanoff is selling some real estate on his body to the biggest giver. Whoever wins will get his or her Twitter handled permanently etched on the 33-year-old.

Olanoff is, until November 14, raising money to help research into children's cancers. He did it before in 2009, when the high bid and donation was $2,112 by Melanie Mitchell, whose handle was inked on Olanoff's arm.

In an astonishing twist, Olanoff himself was diagnosed with cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, after that campaign.

He has been in remission for three years, but he also auctioned off his @drew Twitter handle for cancer, with the winning bid going to Drew Carey (the account is currently inactive).

Now Olanoff wants to raise more funds with another tattoo.

His inspiration is Alex Scott, a girl who was only 4 years old and suffering from neuroblastoma when she decided to raise money for cancer research by selling lemonade. She died in 2004.

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"This time, the money goes right to Alex's Lemonade Stand," Olanoff writes. "Even if you don't want to hop into a battle for real-estate on my body in tattoo form, every little bit counts."

The inspiring video below describes Alex and how her brief life has affected many cancer patients, cancer survivors, and families.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is now a registered charity with nationwide volunteers. It has raised more than $55 million and funded more than 250 research projects across the U.S.

"Let's all chip in and doing something great, and I'll end up with the most special tattoo ever," Olanoff writes. "I hate cancer, and I'm sure you do, too. Everyone has been affected by it in some way. Am I crazy? Maybe, but YOLO."

About the author

Crave freelancer Tim Hornyak is the author of "Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots." He has been writing about Japanese culture and technology for a decade. E-mail Tim.
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